Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has replied to the Enforcement Directorate’s summons saying he is ready to answer its questions in the Delhi excise policy case through video-conferencing after March 12, Aam Aadmi Party sources said on Monday.
Calling them “illegal”, Kejriwal has not attended ED summonses eight times. He has asked the agency to wait as the matter is in court.
The AAP leader reiterated in this reply to the ED that the summonses are “illegal” but said he was willing to answer ED questions, the sources said.
ED complaint in court
Kejriwal has to appear before a city court on March 16 as ED has filed a complaint in view of the skipping of summonses.
On February 27, the ED issued an eighth summons to Kejriwal asking him to join the probe on March 4. The Delhi chief minister has skipped previous summons issued by the ED on February 26, February 19, February 2, January 18, January 3, November 2 and December 22.
The ED wants to record Kejriwal’s statement in the case on the formulation of the now-scrapped excise policy and allegations of bribery.
The excise policy case is based on an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation alleging several irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy (2021-22). The policy was withdrawn after allegations of corruption.
The excise policy aimed to revive Delhi’s liquor business and replace a sales-volume-based regime with a licence fee for traders. It sought the setting up of swankier stores and introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor for the first time in Delhi.
Two senior AAP leaders – Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh – are already under judicial custody in the case.
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